Magical Negro: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
→See also: Stereotypes of African Americans |
→Examples: Main body moved to List of Magical negro archetypes in fiction page |
||
| Line 15: | Line 15: | ||
==Examples== |
==Examples== |
||
{{Main|List of Magical negro archetypes in fiction}} |
|||
[[File:Evanark.jpg|right| |
[[File:Evanark.jpg|right|250px|thumb|[[Morgan Freeman]], (pictured, as [[God]] in 2007's ''[[Evan Almighty]]'') has played several characters described as embodying the traits of a 'magical negro'.<ref name="avclub" /><ref>{{cite news |title= Just Say Noah |date= 2007-06-22 |first= David |last= Plotz |work= [[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |url= http://www.slate.com/id/2168886/ |accessdate= 2007-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=spout.com review |url=http://www.spout.com/films/Driving_Miss_Daisy/9847/default.aspx review }}</ref>]] |
||
Magical negro archetypes have appeared [[List of Magical negro archetypes in fiction|on television, film, and within literature]]. |
|||
Magical negroes as published by social commentators: |
|||
<!-- ================================================================================ |
|||
**WARNING** DO NOT ADD AN EXAMPLE UNLESS YOU HAVE A REFERENCE!! |
|||
================================================================================ --> |
|||
*Uncle Remus ([[James Baskett]]) in ''[[Song of the South]]'' (1946)<ref name="avclub">Hyden, Steven; O'Neal, Sean; Robinson, Tasha; Tobias, Scott. "[http://www.avclub.com/articles/inventory-13-movies-featuring-magical-black-men,1782/ Inventory: 13 Movies featuring magical black men]". March 4, 2007.</ref> |
|||
*Noah Cullen ([[Sidney Poitier]]) in the film ''[[The Defiant Ones]]'' (1958)<ref name="strangehorizons" /> |
|||
* Super Soul ([[Cleavon Little]]) in the film ''[[Vanishing Point (1971 film)|Vanishing Point]]'' (1971)<ref>[http://therumpus.net/2010/02/movies-briefly-vanishing-point-1971/]</ref> |
|||
*[[Richard Pryor]] in ''[[Silver Streak (film)|Silver Streak]]'' (1976)<ref name="avclub" /> |
|||
*Big Jim Slade ([[Manny Perry]]) in ''[[The Kentucky Fried Movie]]'' (1977)<ref name="avclub" /> |
|||
*The magical negro is a recurring archetype in [[Stephen King]]'s [[novel]]s as well as some adaptations of his work: |
|||
**Dick Hallorann in ''[[The Shining (novel)|The Shining]]'' (1977), and in both the [[The Shining (film)|1980 film adaptation]] ([[Scatman Crothers]]) and the [[The Shining (mini-series)|1997 TV miniseries]] ([[Melvin Van Peebles]])<ref name="strangehorizons" /> |
|||
**Mother Abagail in ''[[The Stand]]'' (1978), and the [[The Stand (TV miniseries)|1994 TV adaptation]] ([[Ruby Dee]])<ref name="strangehorizons" /> |
|||
**John Coffey in ''[[The Green Mile (book)|The Green Mile]]'' (1996), and the [[The Green Mile (film)|1999 film adaptation]] ([[Michael Clarke Duncan]])<ref name="strangehorizons" /><ref name="ejumpcut" /><ref name="avclub" /><!-- <ref name="nationalreview">{{cite news | url=http://article.nationalreview.com/313481/the-numinous-negro/flashback | title= The Numinous Negro - His importance in our lives; why he is fading | first = Richard | last = Brookhiser | authorlink = Richard Brookhiser | publisher = [[National Review]] |date= 2001-08-20 | accessdate = 2007-04-17}}</ref> --> |
|||
** Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding in ''[[Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption]]'', portrayed by [[Morgan Freeman]] in 1994's movie adaptation ''[[The Shawshank Redemption]]'' <ref name="Gilbey">{{cite news |title=Film: Why are we still so captivated? |author=Gilbey, Ryan |newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]] |date=2004-09-26 |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article486088.ece |accessdate=2010-04-13 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5oxDybfiJ |archivedate=2010-04-13 }}</ref> |
|||
*Oda Mae Brown ([[Whoopi Goldberg]]) in ''[[Ghost (film)|Ghost]]'' (1990) <ref>{{cite book|title=Black Magic: White Hollywood and African American Culture | first = Krin | last = Gabbard |pages=154 | location = [[New Brunswick, New Jersey|New Brunswick, NJ]] | publisher=[[Rutgers University Press]] |year= 2004|isbn = 081353383X | oclc = 53215708}}</ref> |
|||
*Moses the Clock Man ([[Bill Cobbs]]) in the film ''[[The Hudsucker Proxy]]'' (1994) <ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.fortheretarded.com/?p=37 |title=Exposing Hollywood's Fascination with the Magic Negro |first=Noel |last=Wood |date=2002-10-29 |accessdate=2008-03-19}}</ref> |
|||
*Buford "Bubba" Blue ([[Mykelti Williamson]]) in ''[[Forrest Gump (film)|Forrest Gump]]'' (1994)<ref name="avclub" /> |
|||
*Lamont ([[Guy Torry]]) in the film ''[[American History X]]'' (1998).<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/americanhistoryxhunter.htm "'History X': Hate With a Passion"], By Stephen Hunter, Washington Post Staff Writer. October 30, 1998</ref> |
|||
*[[The Oracle (The Matrix)|Oracle]] ([[Gloria Foster]]/[[Mary Alice]]) as well as Morpheus in ''[[Matrix series|The Matrix Trilogy]]'' (1999).<ref name="ejumpcut" /><ref name="avclub" /> |
|||
*Rufus ([[Chris Rock]]) in ''[[Dogma (film)|Dogma]]'' (1999)<ref name="avclub" /> |
|||
*"The Blind Seer" ([[Lee Weaver]]) in ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'' (2000)<ref name ="cinethetic">{{cite journal|title=Cinethetic Racism: White Redemption and Black Stereotypes in "Magical Negro" Films|author=Matthew W. Hughey|year=2009|journal=Social Problems|url=http://people.virginia.edu/~mwh5h/MN.pdf|accessdate=3009-02-7}}</ref> |
|||
*Elliot's cellmate/Angel ([[Gabriel Casseus]]) in ''[[Bedazzled (2000 movie)|Bedazzled]]'' (2000) <ref name="cinethetic" /> |
|||
*G ([[Eddie Murphy]]) in ''[[Holy Man]]'' (1998).<ref>{{cite web | author= Matthew W. Hughey| title=Cinethetic Racism: White Redemption and Black Stereotypes in "Magical Negro" Films | url=http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1525/sp.2009.56.3.543 | year=2009 | accessdate=2008-10-20}}</ref> |
|||
*The Leading Player in the Broadway musical ''[[Pippin]]'', played by actor [[Ben Vereen]]. In the musical the role is an omnipresent character who helps the white protagonist find meaning in his life. References are central to the story, starting with the opener, "Magic to Do." |
|||
*Cash ([[Don Cheadle]]) in the film ''[[The Family Man]]'' (2000)<ref name="SpikeLee" /><ref name="ejumpcut" /> |
|||
*Bagger Vance ([[Will Smith]]) in the film ''[[The Legend of Bagger Vance]]'' (2000)<ref name="strangehorizons" /><ref name="SpikeLee" /><ref name="ejumpcut" /><ref name="avclub" /><ref>{{cite news|title=That Old Black Magic |date= 2000-05-27 | first = Christopher John | last = Farley | authorlink = Christopher John Farley |work = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,998604,00.html |accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref> |
|||
*Mateo ([[Djimon Hounsou]]) in ''[[In America (film)|In America]]'' (2002)<ref name="avclub" /> |
|||
*Gabriel ([[Delroy Lindo]]) in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Brawl in the Family]]" (2002).<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=Magical Negro | url=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicalNegro | work=TV Tropes | year=2010 | accessdate=2010-04-06}}</ref> |
|||
*God ([[Morgan Freeman]]) in the films ''[[Bruce Almighty]]'' (2003) and ''[[Evan Almighty]]'' (2007).<ref name="avclub" /><ref>{{cite news |title= Just Say Noah |date= 2007-06-22 |first= David |last= Plotz |work= [[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |url= http://www.slate.com/id/2168886/ |accessdate= 2007-06-22}}</ref> |
|||
* Hoke ([[Morgan Freeman]]) in [[Driving Miss Daisy]](1989)<ref>{{cite web |title=spout.com review |url=http://www.spout.com/films/Driving_Miss_Daisy/9847/default.aspx review }}</ref> |
|||
*Gloria Dump ([[Cicely Tyson]]) in the film ''[[Because of Winn-Dixie (film)|Because of Winn-Dixie]]'' (2005)<ref name='charlotteObs'>{{cite news | first=Gary | last=Thompson | coauthors= | title='Winn-Dixie' Gets No Place Fast | date=2005-02-18 | publisher=[[Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC]] | url=http://ae.charlotte.com/entertainment/ui/charlotte/movie.html;jsessionid=2738A0AB6137F17664C1590346E175C7.prodapp14_ae_02?id=241836&reviewId=17357 | work=The Philadelphia Daily News| accessdate=2007-07-21}}</ref> |
|||
* Sam ([[Morgan Freeman]]) in ''[[Unleashed (film)|Unleashed]]'' (2005)<ref name="avclub" /> |
|||
* Afemo Omilami as Charles in ''[[Hounddog (film)|Hounddog]]'' (2007) <ref>[http://laist.com/2007/01/24/what_if_dakota_fanning_got_raped_and_nobody_cared.php]</ref> |
|||
* August ([[Queen Latifah]]), May ([[Sophie Okonedo]]) and June ([[Alicia Keys]]) in ''[[The Secret Life of Bees]]'' (2008)<ref>{{cite web |author=Owen Gleiberman | title=ew.com review |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20233300,00.html }}</ref> |
|||
* Louise ([[Jennifer Hudson]]) in the film ''[[Sex and the City]]'' (2008), where Carrie Bradshaw's emotional recuperation depends entirely on the labor of her plucky black personal assistant, who is disengaged from the storyline as soon as Carrie starts to feel better.<ref>[http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/116194-state-of-the-race/]</ref> |
|||
* Star ([[Jadagrace Berry]]) in the film ''[[Terminator Salvation]]'' (2009)<ref>{{cite web | title=The Lyorn's Den | url=http://lyorn.livejournal.com/77244.html | year=2009 | accessdate=2010-07-26}}</ref> |
|||
* [[List of Tekken characters#Raven|Raven]] ([[Darrin Dewitt Henson]]) in the videogame film ''[[Tekken (film)|Tekken]]'' (2010) where he encourages the protagonist [[Jin Kazama]] to stand up and fight.<ref>[http://www.cinema-crazed.com/r-z/tekken.htm]</ref> |
|||
<!-- ================================================================================ |
|||
**WARNING** DO NOT ADD AN EXAMPLE UNLESS YOU HAVE A REFERENCE!! |
|||
================================================================================ --> |
|||
==Outside of fiction== |
==Outside of fiction== |
||
Revision as of 08:44, 28 September 2010
The magical negro is a supporting, sometimes mystical stock character in fiction who, by use of special insight or powers, helps the white protagonist get out of trouble. The word negro, now considered by many as archaic and sometimes offensive, is used intentionally to suggest that the archetype is a racial throwback, an update of the "Sambo" and "Noble savage" stereotypes.[5]
African-American filmmaker Spike Lee popularized the term, deriding the archetype of the "super-duper magical negro" in 2001 while discussing films with students at Washington State University and at Yale University.[6][1]
The magical negro is a subset of the more generic numinous negro, a term coined by Richard Brookhiser in National Review.[7] The latter term refers to saintly, respected or heroic black protagonists or mentors.
In fiction
The magical negro is typically but not always "in some way outwardly or inwardly disabled, either by discrimination, disability or social constraint," often a janitor or prisoner.[8] He has no past; he simply appears one day to help the white protagonist.[2][9] He usually has some sort of magical power, "rather vaguely defined but not the sort of thing one typically encounters."[2] He is patient and wise, often dispensing various words of wisdom, and is "closer to the earth."[6]
The magical negro serves as a plot device to help the protagonist get out of trouble, typically through helping the white character recognize his own faults and overcome them.[6] Although he has magical powers, his "magic is ostensibly directed toward helping and enlightening a white male character."[8] It is this feature of the magical negro that some people find most troubling. Although from a certain perspective the character may seem to be showing blacks in a positive light, he is still ultimately subordinate to whites. He is also regarded as an exception, allowing white America to "like individual black people but not black culture."[10]
To save the white protagonist, however, he would do anything, including sacrificing himself, as Sidney Poitier portrays in The Defiant Ones, the prototypical magical Negro movie.[6] Note that Poitier's character is also saved by the white protagonist, as the two help each other throughout the film; the movie fits the genre of "buddy movie" far better than that of "magical negro."[11]
Examples
Magical negro archetypes have appeared on television, film, and within literature.
Outside of fiction
Examples of the use of the term magical negro as published by commentators in non-fictional contexts include:
- Barack Obama, winner of the 2008 presidential election.[14]
- Usage of the title "Obama the 'Magic Negro'" by David Ehrenstein for a Los Angeles Times piece later inspired the satirical song "Barack the Magic Negro," written by parodist Paul Shanklin and broadcast on Rush Limbaugh's radio show.[15] It received new attention in late 2008 when it was included on a CD sent by Chip Saltsman, running for chair of the Republican National Committee, to members of the committee.[16]
- The term "magic negro" was also applied to Barack Obama during a segment on the Daily Show; proceeding a segment elaborating on Barack Obama's first year (or 364 days and 23 hours), senior black correspondent Larry Wilmore added that "If there's one thing we've learned it's this: Negroes aren't magic." Larry Wilmore also compares Obama's pre-election image to that of other notable magic negro archetypes in fiction, such as Bagger Vance and John Coffey.[17]
- David Hampton, con artist. Hampton in real life posed as the son of Sidney Poitier, which story then inspired John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation (play) and (film).[14]
See also
References
- ^ a b Gonzalez, Susan (2001-03-02). "Director Spike Lee slams 'same old' black stereotypes in today's films". Yale Bulletin & Calendar. Yale University. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
- ^ a b c Colombe, Audrey (2002). "White Hollywood's new Black boogeyman". Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media (45). Retrieved 2006-12-03.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
avclubwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Farley, Christopher John (2000-05-27). "That Old Black Magic". Time. Retrieved 2007-02-03.
- ^ Jones, D. Marvin (2005). Race, Sex, and Suspicion: The Myth of the Black Male. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers. p. 35. ISBN 0275974626. OCLC 56095393.
- ^ a b c d Okorafor-Mbachu, Nnedi (2004-10-25). "Stephen King's Super-Duper Magical Negroes". Strange Horizons. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
- ^ "The Numinous Negro - His importance in our lives; why he is fading". National Review. 2001-08-20.>
- ^ a b Hicks, Heather J. (2003-09-01). "Hoodoo Economics: White Men's Work and Black Men's Magic in Contemporary American Film". Camera Obscura. 18 (2). Camera Obscura: 27–55. doi:10.1215/02705346-18-2_53-27. Retrieved 2007-02-03.
- ^ Persons, Georgia Anne (2005). Contemporary Patterns of Politics, Praxis, and Culture. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. p. 137. ISBN 141280468X. OCLC 56510401.
- ^ Gabbard, Krin (2004). Black Magic: White Hollywood and African American Culture. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. p. 173. ISBN 081353383X. OCLC 53215708.
- ^ Michael E. Ross, "Black and White Buddies: How Sincere is the Harmony?," New York Times, Film section, June 14, 1987
- ^ Plotz, David (2007-06-22). "Just Say Noah". Slate. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
- ^ review "spout.com review".
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ a b "Obama the 'Magic Negro'". Los Angeles Times. 2007-03-19. Retrieved 2010-05-12. Cite error: The named reference "nonfic" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ DeParle, Jason (2008-12-28). "G.O.P. Receives Obama Parody to Mixed Reviews". New York Times.
- ^ "'Magic Negro' flap might help Saltsman" by Andy Barr, politico.com, 12/30/08 Retrieved 1-2-09.
- ^ "The First 364 Days 23 Hours". The Daily Show. 2010-01-19. Retrieved 2010-05-12.